KEY POINTS:
Waitakere United's Benjamin Totori and Auckland City's Bryan Little have both signed professional contracts with the Portland Timbers in the United Soccer League (USL), pending international clearance.
The Timbers play in the USL first division, the second tier below Major League Soccer.
Little - Auckland's leading scorer with eight goals - departed following City's preliminary final loss to Team Wellington last weekend while Totori remains with Waitakere until the club's O-League commitments finish next month.
Solomon Islands international Totori, 22, has scored 10 goals in 18 matches for Waitakere this season to take his New Zealand Football Championship career tally to 43 from 50 games.
Last year he was the runaway winner of the Golden Boot title with 24 goals for Manawatu.
Little, 29, was the early leader in this season's Golden Boot race before injury ruled him out of the middle of Auckland's season.
From Edinburgh, Little began his professional career with Berwick Rangers in the Scottish Second Division before moving in 2003 to Miramar Rangers where he helped win the 2003 National Soccer League and the 2004 Chatham Cup.
The left-sided midfielder was part of Team Wellington's first two NZFC seasons but joined Auckland City in time for their 2006 FIFA Club World Cup campaign in Japan.
The Timbers already have a strong New Zealand connection through coach and former All White Gavin Wilkinson.
- NZPA
